Preparing for Chemotherapy

Why this resource is helpful:

"It"s perfectly normal to be nervous about starting any type of medical procedure, especially chemotherapy. Even though it can be a life-saving treatment, you may feel anxious and worried about how it will affect you. However, preparing ahead of time can help relieve stress and minimize the impact chemo can have on both your physical and emotional health. While everyone"s reaction to chemotherapy is different, it is still likely that it will impact your day-to-day responsibilities. Your body will need time to rest after treatment so that it can start to heal. This will affect what you"re able to handle, whether at work or at home. Create a list of tasks you do on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis, and then enlist a friend or family member (or several) to help out when you aren"t able to accomplish those things yourself. Proper nutrition and regular exercise can help keep up your strength and reduce some of the side effects of chemotherapy. Therefore, it"s good to try to stay as healthy as you can before and during treatment. Stock up on healthy groceries like fruits, vegetables, protein-rich snacks, and water to keep hydrated. Also, consider freezing healthy meals ahead of time for the days you don"t feel up to cooking. You might even find it helpful to create a list of your regular (and favorite) items on one of the grocery store websites so you can easily reorder them. In Willamette Valley, several stores will deliver groceries including Safeway and Whole Foods.
It may seem hard to get out and exercise right after a dose of chemo. But try to plan a short route you can walk once you"re feeling better, or find some simple exercises to do at home. This may be affected by whether you"ve already had surgery to remove the cancer. Talk to your oncologist about what types of exercise may be best for you post-surgery."

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